Being the wrong Hero
by Bait and Switch
Summary: FACE FAMILY: Alfred believes Francis is abusing Arthur so tells his teachers but Matthew still see the good. Kinda sad? X


Another evening of Doctor Who and being single. But I don't mind it. Lets have us some fiction of the fan variety! Just so you know there was a war of the roses between the house of Lancaster (later the Tudor) with a red and the house of York with a white rose. Sangria is a fruity alcoholic drink form Spain, Family said you don't register how strong it is so it's easier to get pissed on. Yeah!

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><p>It was a maths lesson when the teaching assistant popped his head round the door to ask Mathew and Alfred to go to the Head teacher's office. Alfred pulled his brother up with a grim but determined smile. That must mean that they were not going to be told off. Maybe this was about bullying. Or another questioning about how they were settling in or if everything is alright. The usual difficult questions about home life from Mr Lucas, the Head teacher.<p>

Officially Arthur was their guardian. The authorities had been told that it was a house share between two old friends (enemies) and the boys would have a live-in baby sitter just in case Arthur had to work late or visit his family, something the rest of the household were spared. They did not hate each other but it was always tense. Arthur had promised himself that he would explain everything when the boys were older. Francis doubted it as Alfred and Matthew were now fifteen but Arthur still called them the boys.

Alfred took his brothers arm to drag him faster along the corridor to the office. The door was open ready for them so Matthew could see two chairs set out for them. Behind the desk was the Head and his deputy, Mr Reynolds. Matthew liked the deputy, an old science teacher from Quebec who never failed to say hello to both brothers rather than only Alfred like the others. He also taught a French class after school which helped as Matthew was learning it from his 'papa'.

Alfred could see the open door too. But he was more interested in the woman in the ill-fitting suit standing in the corner. Notebook at the ready.

Alfred closed the door behind them, sat down and motioned for Matthew to join him. Once seated he leant over and whispered to Matthew "It's going to be fine. Just answer the questions honestly" This puzzled the Canadian. Contrary to Alfred's belief, Mathew had not been bullied for years, ever since he beat the shit out of the main guy with a stick they had left him alone. Some of them secretly admired him for standing up for himself. The kid that took the beating also admired Matthew for not telling anybody about his lack of bowel control when confronted by angry blonds.

"So," Started Mr Lucas, "Alfred. Can you please repeat to Ms Allen what you told me yesterday lunchtime? There is no need to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid, Sir! Now is the time to be the hero and do the right thing." At this point the American waivered, collecting his thoughts into a coherent sentence while Matthew was a bewildered as ever. "Papa has abusing Dad. I've seen them, Matthew must have too. Papa brings home all these women an' Dad never cares but I hear them when they think I'm asleep. Screaming." Matthew could not believe his ears but his brother kept on talking "They always argue, it seemed normal at first but I talked with the Reverend an' he told me it's not natural. Like a sin."

The lady called Allen stepped forward "When was the most recent event like that?"

"Last night."

"What happened?"

"I came downstairs cos I heard noises. I came into the living room and saw. Papa was in Dad's chair. There was a woman with him. I could only see her back but she had long blonde hair, a tattoo of a rose on her leg and was only wearing these massive black over-the-knee boots. She was sitting on his lap and they where kissing. Papa noticed me but smiled like he was just doing something normal."

"Did you say anything?"

"Yeah."

"Go on." She smiled in a way she thought must be reassuring but was more menacing.

"I told him Ill not tell Arthur that he has had another slut in but normal people marry a woman to hide their gayness not the other way around.

Arthur and Francis heard every word. They were sat in the empty classroom next door. After the two police officers had been told several times that Francis was innocent they were allowed to be in the same room, though supervised. They sat together on the table, hands clasped together for support, and listened to Alfred's testimony. They remembered last night differently. After a glass of wine in the garden they had decided to have some fun. Arthur had found his wig and put on his old boots from his days dancing in heavy underground clubs. He had then lead Francis to his special reading chair for a celebratory lap dance then sex. Unfortunately it seemed like Alfred had been waiting to hear those sorts of noises when he came down. As if he had been waiting. They had been very quiet, just a few giggles. Luckily the tattoo of the matching York and Lancaster roses would be proof enough.

"The abuse, Alfred. Tell us about that."

"Oh. They have always had cuts and bruises but Dad gets them on his thighs and back. Francis normally has them on his face, like black eyes or cut lips. I think... that I have... I... um…" another pause as he reminded himself what a hero would do, "I've seen them after _stuff _covered in marks. They don't know I'm there. It's like I'm Mattie! Dad was tied to the bed and groaning in had been rope burn. Dad thinks he hides it with the sleeves of his work shirts but I see Francis watching. Once he even pulled the arms up to look at the results of his work."

In the room next door they just listened. Remembering the nights when they did the dirtyer things. Blindfolds and leather things. It seemed to them like Alfred had never seem their moments of affection. It was true that while Francis was a romanic and extrovert. Athur, however, did not like showing affections to anybody. He seemed cold to a lot of people but not to Francis. They had done all the gentle dating and had moved on to living like a married couple. A married couple that still had fun in the bedroom. A married couple that did not understand the concept of locking doors or making sure everone else in the house is asleep.

Matthew could still not believe what he was hearing. Alfred had stopped saying papa and saying Francis. Matthew had a talent for remaining unnoticed in a room. He had seen everything. He remembered his Papa inspecting his work but he had also seen his Dad's smirk and the quick kisses they shared before either of them left the house when they thought nobody was watching. Though he could not deny the possessive looks that got exchanged over meal times. Or the predatory ones. He had listened to enough.

"NO!" he shouted, surprising even himself. "It's not like that." Everyone in the room turned to look at him. If his parents could have heard him then they would have smiled. "They do care. They laugh when they argue and if they hit to hard the hug. Have you never seen them tend each others' wounds?" It was true, as the adults would later explain, if they did not play fight they might fall out for real. "You never see it. You just think it's wrong because they're both guys!"

It was Alfred's turn to be shocked. "Of course it's wrong. It's never been right! What about Uncle Roderick and Gilbert?"

Their argument was stopped momentarily by the strange lady, "Tell me about these 'family members', Please, Matthew"

"Well… we visited the estate in Vienna for some sort of reunion. It was the first time we were together with all the family-" Alfred cut him off.

"Uncle Roderick whispered something to the freak and then they ran out of the conservatory and into the garden. When they came back they were covered in scratches and leaves and blood and Roderick had a limp for the rest of the evening and… and…" he was hyperventilating. Leaning forward in his chair, trying to regain his breath.

"That's true, Al, but they were messing around. Gil is just a kid at heart." a violent, testosterone fuelled, kid "They were all laughing about it later. Don't you remember any of the good things?"

"None of their relationships are happy. Antonio and Lovina aren't healthy. She his cruel to him too. She beats him."

"NO! She is really shy. When she got wasted on Sangria then she was all over him. What about Berwal and Tino? They have been married since they were fifteen and are so happy together."

"Bewald is scary!"

"You just don't understand! Bewald fixed Kuma's eye back on when Dad was out."

Mr Reynolds put his hand in the air to stop the bickering. "Why don't we bring you guardians into this. They are waiting outside." The Allen lady glared at him, "sorry, Your guardian and his room mate." he corrected with a smile.

The door had a window reinforced with thin strips of wire running through the plastic pane. Outside the boys could see their 'parents' worried expressions as they were briefed by one of the officers about some procedure or other. The Allen lady explained that they had been questioned but waited to talk to the family unit as a whole. But Alfred was having none of it.

"I'm not having them near Mattie. They have corrupted his mind! Keep Francis away from us, us all. The hero shall protect everyone. It's my job. I have to. I need to. Yeah… Hero…"

"Alright then" Ms Allen said, "I need you both to be good boys and write out a statement. Separate rooms. Mustn't have the witness statements cross contaminated."

Witness statements. A shiver ran down Matthew's spine. He knew that Arthur would never press charges for the things Francis did. Once, when being babysat by one of their may 'uncles' he had found Ludwig's magazine collection which had explained everything. He would not dare to suggest anything, though. Unlike his brother he was not going to do anything that could get them taken into care. Worst case scenario they would have to be smuggled out of the country to the European mainland. Maybe to Vienna. Maybe to Sicily. Francis knew people all over, it seemed. But for now, Alfred's ignorance and hatred of anything the Church deemed unnatural would change their lives. Again.

Francis and Arthur were walked to separate police cars to be taken in for further questioning. Alfred and Matthew would be looked after by Kiku, most likely. Arthur seemed to trust him. Maybe because Kiku was responsible around children. Maybe because Yao hated Arthur for a yet to be explained reason. For now, at least, the family was spilt apart. Alfred sat down with his pen and paper. He was the Hero. Now it was time for him to save Arthur, Mattie and anybody else who needed saving. Francis would pay for what he had done. Alfred was going to get him deported if he could.


End file.
